Leslie Probable NDE

Experience Description

I had been very sick with pneumonia. The night before my experience, I would wake up telling myself to breathe. This happened several times that night. The next night I had no control at all over waking myself up when I stopped breathing. I simply stopped breathing and immediately felt a tingling, electrifying sensation that started at the top of my head and traveled slowly down my entire body to my toes.

Once that stopped, I realized I was hovering just above my body, facing the ceiling. The room was filled with a soft, glowing light. Then the light fixture in the ceiling lit up. I was very curious about this and wanted to float up and look at it. After I floated to the ceiling and looked at the light fixture, I turned around and looked at my body. I really felt no emotion about my body. I was actually very calm and felt extremely peaceful with all that was happening. It was at this point I sensed a being in the room with me. I could not see a male presence. He spoke to me through my mind and asked if I would like to stay or go. I replied to him that I was only a kid and I still wanted to stay. Once that was said I went straight back into my body, and I do not remember any strange sensation as I did so. I only remember lying in the bed with a peaceful feeling for a few minutes and went back to sleep.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Summer of 1990

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I had pneumonia.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I only saw the room that I was in and my body lying on the bed. I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal I felt as if the entire experience was more real than everyday life. It actually felt more natural to be in that state than my physical body. I was able to sense someone I couldn't see and knew a being was there before hearing the male voice speak to me. All I had to do was think about wanting to float up, and I did so.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning It seemed to happen extremely fast.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I seemed to pick out all of the details of this very quick experience. The one thing I was so curious about was why the light fixture lit up the way it did. My vision may not have been sharper, but I was aware of more details. I remember having my face right up to the fixture and seeing black electrical tape.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The difference was that I didn't see anyone and could hear the conversation in my head. I also spoke in the same way.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I say yes, because the light in the room with me was very warm and glowing (not extremely bright but just very pleasant). Then the light fixture in the ceiling lit up but not from the switch being turned on.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Very calm and extremely peaceful.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Uncertain Not sure. I just knew if I said yes then I would not be coming back to my body.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes No religion just knowing God exists

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths I really wouldn't classify myself as religious now. Spritual perhaps. Now it's very simple for me. There is a God and an afterlife. When I look at religion I feel they have it all wrong. I was taught to fear God (do what's right or go to hell). After my experience I viewed religion as a tool of manipulation. Now I see God as pure peace and love.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I was taught to believe in God. I was not brought up in a very religious home and did not attend church often. I had no knowledge of the ability of my soul to leave my body.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes My beliefs became more spiritual, not religious.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin I sensed the male being after I turned to look at my body. He would have been to my right at this time near the window in the bedroom I was in. I actually turned to face him, because I knew exactly where he was even though I could not see him.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? Yes

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes It was just something I could sense. Even though I don't participate in religion and feel that it is wrong for me, I feel that there are many paths to God. Not just Christianity but all religions can lead to God.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes yes it was just very basic knowledge that God does exist.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Yes I simply knew that if I chose to go I would continue in an afterlife.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Moderately fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are probably meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes Sorry I did kind of touch on this but I was left with a strong urge to stay away from religion and just know what exists after this life.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes There was no one telling me anything about love but I felt very loved and protected. So yes there was an awareness of love.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life As an adult when I think back to what happened when I was a teenager, I took that experience seriously. I can actually say that I don't believe there is a God and an afterlife, but I KNOW there is. It's nothing like religion teaches. It's not about manipulation to make people act right. When we leave this physical body, we go back to our natural and unconfined state of being.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I'm so far from perfect, but I always realize that I could do better. I spend more time with my kids and give them unconditional love. Sometimes I feel like I spend too much time trying to get all of my chores done. I simply stop and take time to be with those I love, because I realize this all goes by too fast. I think that had I not had the experience, I would be more driven to work more and accumulate more material possessions.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes In a way, yes. The feeling of peace and just knowing what was happening to me. Saying peaceful seems that it isn't strong enough of a word.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes This didn't happen often or with everyone, and it no longer happens to me. However, there was a time when I could be in conversation with someone, and I would see everything go black. Then I would see that person standing in a dark room and colors would appear around them, auras perhaps. I have a strange effect on lights when I am very emotional. I have had witnesses to this. I could stand near the lights in the dining room, and they would brighten and dim. Then I would move to the kitchen, and the same would happen. This didn't happen when the people who witnessed it tried it.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The entire experience was meaningful to me. I feel that if I did not have that experience as a child that I would no longer believe in God. Now, I just know what comes after this life. I'm very thankful for my experience.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was years before I told anyone. I told those close to me, because I want them to know what we have to look forward to. They were pretty positive in their reaction. The one negative reaction was from my son's father who is actually a physicist and an atheist. I know. It's strange for the two of us to be together! He actually handled it better than I thought. He didn't really put me down but tried to offer scientific explanation of what happened to me. I simply had to tell him that it was more realistic than the two of us sitting in that moment, and that his explanations didn't come close to what happened.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Oddly, I didn't dwell on it then. I just accepted it. Later as an adult I spent a lot of time thinking about it, and I am simply grateful for it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I actually had sleep paralysis when I was 16 and saw a tunnel with a female being in a dress with her arm extended for me to take her hand. I chose not to and had a terrifying experience that lasted for what felt like a whole minute of trying to wake up, unable to move or breathe. So, it was not exactly a reproduction of the first experience but a similar one of knowing I could stay or go.